At the recent Strategic Inquiry, into
the Impacts of Coal Mining in the Wyong LGA, Inquiry Panel Chair
Kerry Chikarovski praised the quality of the Australian Coal
Alliance submission on the impact of coal extraction from beneath
the catchment valleys and said that the authors of the document
should be commended.

Coal Alliance campaign director Alan Hayes said that the mining
company had intimated in a radio interview that information being
disseminated by us was nothing more than urban myth.

“This is totally false and a misleading and reckless statement by
the mining company,” said Mr Hayes.

The Alliance’s
submission stressed concern on the impact of subsidence on the water
resource, the deleterious effect on health from coal dust and the
adverse social and economic impacts on the community.

“All assertions made by us in our submission to the inquiry were
quantified by reference to accepted published documents. Many of
these documents were reports published by various NSW Government
depart-ments,” said Mr Hayes.

The northern part of Wyong Shire is zone for increased dormitory use
and clean industry. The Wyong Regional Chamber of Commerce said that
they were concerned about the impact coal dust would have on the
Wyong Employment Zone at Warnervale.

“The Chamber of Commerce is encouraging food manufacturing and
packaging industry into this area to compliment the Woolworth’s
distribution centre.”

“This will not happen with a coal loader up the road. The WEZ would
eventually provide 6000 local jobs, and this could be put in
jeopardy.”

Wyong MP David Harris said he was concerned about the noise and dust
impacts on the community and for the future of the Wyong Employment
Zone.

“It is illogical and irrational to even contem-plate longwall coal
mining beneath a water catchment area given the recent experiences
in other areas where stream beds have been fractured and stream
flows compromised and lost,” said Alan Hayes.

“The Kores submission provided no substantive evidence or
bibliography to their claims.”

“Statements of Commitment are not a substitute for properly
researched and analysed reports confirming that a project will not
have a particular impact.”

Kores community relations manager Peter Smith said that their
investigations are incomplete and still ongoing.

Alan Hayes said that Kores’ statement before the Inquiry “It’s
important people understand the proposed footprint of the mine is
only 4.7 per cent of the water catchment” is irresponsible and
reckless.

“Mr Smith failed to state that this “footprint” would be at the end
of the Dooralong and Yarramalong Valley water catchment, between the
confluence of the two river systems, and directly beneath the
valleys floodplain, the major water flow-through of the aquifers.”

“It is this part of our water catchment area that is the most
significant and most critical. 50% of the entire Central Coast’s
water supply is drawn from this part of the water catchment,” said
Mr Hayes.

Mr Smith said that he didn’t believe that the 154m setback of the
mine from Wyong River would have any impact.

“This would put Wyong River well within the subsidence zone and put
it at risk,” said Mr Hayes.